Antenna mount with rotating control



May 12, 1970 T. DEEBY 3,511,106

ANTENNA MOUNT WITH ROTATING CONTROL Filed June 25, 1968 y 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Thomas Deeby IN VEN TOR.

May 12, 1970 T. DEEBY ANTENNA MOUNT WITH ROTATING CONTROL 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 25, 1968 Fig.3

r T T INVENTOR.

Thomas Deeby May 12, 1970 T. DEEBY ANTENNA MOUNT WITH ROTATING CONTROL 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed June 25, 1968 8 u m @MH: 8 Q 2 E 9 4 9 E 6 4 m a 0 2 Fig.8

Thomas Deeby INVENTOR.

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United States Patent 3,511,106 ANTENNA MOUNT WITH ROTATING CONTROL Thomas Deeby, 28509 Safie Drive, New Baltimore, Mich. 48047 Filed June 25, 1968, Ser. No. 739,888

Int. Cl. F16c 1/10 US. Cl. 74-501 13 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to antenna mounting structure and more particularly to a window mounting assembly for TV antennas or the like.

In order to obtain optimum signal reception in TV receivers, an external antenna is often required. While the mounting of the antenna on top of the building is most desired, this location is not always accessible or available. Also, roof mountings are expensive to install and maintain. One solution to this problem is to mount the antenna by some window support. However, window supports are relatively bulky because of rigidity and structural strength requirements and require special attaching facilities. Also, window mountings usually prevent closing of the window. Furthermore, antenna window mounts heretofore devised had no facilities for remote control of the antenna so that disassembly of the antenna was required in order to angularly readjust it.

In accordance with the present invention, a relatively inexpensive window support for an antenna is provided which not only has the requisite strength and rigidity for mounting the antenna but is also dimensionally adjustable in order to accommodate mounting thereof at different installations. This is achieved by use of a corner bracket clamped to the corner of a window opening having little interference with closing of the window. Adjustably secured to the horizontal portion of the corner bracket, is a sill embracing member from which a socket extends at an upward incline to receive a tubular rod.

The antenna is rotatably mounted about an orientation axis at the upper curved end of the tubular rod vertically and horizontally spaced from the window opening from which it is supported. The antenna may be angularly rotated by flexible shafting extending through the tubular rod. A tubular guide projects from the rod toward the window opening so as to direct the flexible shafting toward the window. An actuating knob may be connected to the end of the flexible shafting so that rotational torque may be transmitted therethrough to the antenna. Releasable lock means is also associated with the flexible shafting so as to hold the antenna in any adjusted position.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a typical installation for one embodiment of the antenna mount in accordance with the present invention.

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FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the disassembled parts associated with the window mounted support.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged partial sectional view taken substantially through a plane indicated by section line 3-3 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged partial sectional view of an upper portion of the antenna support.

FIG. 5 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially through a plane indicated by section line 55 in FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view showing another form of antenna installation in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged sectional view through an upper portion of the installation shown in FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged sectional view through a lower portion of the installation shown in FIG. 6.

FIG. 9 is an enlarged partial sectional view taken sub stantially through a plane indicated by section line 99 in FIG. 6.

FIG. 10 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially through a plane indicated by section line 10-10 in FIG. 7.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, FIG. 1 illustrates a typical antenna installation in accordance with the present invention generally referred to by reference numeral 10. The installation includes a commercial type of antenna generally referred to by reference numeral 12 to which a rotatable shaft section 14 is secured. The shaft section 14 is rotatably mounted about a substantially vertical axis by means of the upper curved end portion 16 of a tubular rod assembly 18 extending at an upward incline to form an obtuse angle with the vertical axis of the shaft section 14. The tubular rod 18 is mounted in a window support generally referred to by reference numeral 20 adapted to be secured in place at the corner of a window opening 22 in the wall of any building or shelter. Most window openings will be provided with a track or molding 24 and will have an externally exposed frame including a sill portion 26 and vertical side portions 28 forming lower right angle corners adapted to receive the support 20.

As more clearly seen in FIG. 2, the support 20 includes a corner bracket generally referred to by reference numeral 30 including a vertical channel section 32 connected to a horizontal channel section 34 arranged to present little interference with the closing of window 35 for example. The vertical channel section 32 may be locked in place at the lower right hand corner of the window opening by means of a pair of lock screws 36 threadedly received within internally threaded openings 38 formed in the vertical channel section 32. A vertical brace 40 extends from the vertical channel section and is interconnected at right angles to a horizontal plate 42 extending from the horizontal channel section 34. In certain window installations, the horizontal plate portion 42 of the corner bracket may rest on the sill portion 26 while the brace 40 abuts the vertical side 28. By rotating the bracket 30 it may be mounted in the left hand corner wherein brace 40 replaces plate portion 42 and plate portion 42 becomes the vertical brace.

A sill embracing member 44 is adjustably secured to the horizontal plate portion 42 of the corner bracket 30 and includes a horizontal leg 46 provided with a pair of adjustment slots 48 adapted to be aligned with openings 50 in the horizontal plate portion 42 of the corner bracket. Thus, the member 44 is locked in an adjusted position to the corner bracket by means of the screws 52 and wing nuts 54 when the slots 48 are aligned with the openings 50. The vertical leg 56 of the member 44 is adapted to abut the external window frame in the adjusted position of the member 44 in order to firmly support a tubular socket 58 which extends at an upward incline from the vertical leg 56. A vertical brace 60 and a pair of lateral braces '62 interconnect the Socket 58 with the vertical leg 56 in order to provide suflicient structural strength and rigidity. The vertical leg may also be provided with a pairof vertical adjustment slots 64 adjacent the lower end adjacent the opposite vertical sides in order to mount in an adjusted position, an angle frame member 66. The vertical leg portion of the angle member 66 is therefore provided with a pair of openings 68 adapted to be aligned with the vertical slots 64 so that the angle member may be secured in an adjusted position to the sill embracing member 44 by means of the screws 70 and wing nuts 72. The horizontal leg portion of the angle member 66 threadedly mounts a clamping screw member 74 as shown in FIG. 3 adapted to engage the underside of the externally exposed sill portion 26 in order to firmly lock the sill embracing member 44 to the building. It will of course be appreciated that in some shelter installations there will be no projecting sill member so that the angle member 66 cannot be used. The vertical leg 56 of member 44 may then be nailed in place by use of a spacer block (not shown) between the shelter wall and the leg 56. A cable (not shown) hooked through aligned apertures 80 and 82 in the vertical leg 56 and angle member 66 would then anchor the assembly to a bottom frame of the shelter as for example the supporting frame for a house trailer, through use of a turnbuckle device. In building installations on the other hand, precautions may be taken to prevent accidental dropping of the tubular rod 18 by anchoring one end of safety cable 88 to the building by a hook 90, the cable 88 being connected to the tubular rod in any suitable fashion as by the ring 92, shown in FIG. 1.

The tubular rod 18 as well as the window support 20 may be made of a suitable material such as aluminum dimensioned to have the required strength for support of the antenna 12 and to withstand exposure. For ease of handling and transport purposes, the tubular rod may be made in sections including the upper section 94 having the upper curved end portion 16 aforementioned. The lower straight section 96 of the tubular rod is received within the socket 58 and is provided with a guide tube member 98 projecting toward the window opening just above the socket 58. The guide tube member 98 extends substantially horizontal in order to direct flexible shafting 100 toward the window opening. An actuating knob 102 may be connected to the end of the flexible shafting 100 so that rotational torque may be applied through the flexible shafting to the shaft section 14 for angularly adjusting the position of the antenna 12. The flexible shafting is accordingly supported for rotation Within the tubular rod 18 and is connected at the end opposite the actuating knob 102 to the shaft section 14.

Referring now to FIGS. 4 and 5, showing one embodiment of the invention, it will be observed that the shaft section 14 is rotatably mounted at the end of the upper curved portion 16 where the flexible shafting 100 is connected thereto by the connector 106. A small amount of axial displacement of the shaft section 14 relative to the tubular rod 18 is also accommodated, so as to cooperate with a releasable lock mechanism 108. The lock mechanism is designed to hold the shaft section 14 and the antenna in the position to which it is angularly adjusted. The lock mechanism includes a lock member 110 fixed internally of the tubular rod and provided with axially projecting brake teeth 112 adapted to be interengaged with locking teeth 114 projecting from a locking element 116 axially secured to the flexible shafting 100 by any suitable means such as the fastener 118. The flexible shafting 100 together with the shaft section 14 is continuously biased to one position by means of a spring 120 reacting between the connector 106 and the axially fixed member 110. Thus, the spring 120 axially urges the shafting 100 and the locking element 116 secured thereto to a locking position as illustrated in FIG. 4. In order to release the locking mechanism and thereby permit transmission of torque through the shafting 100 to the shaft section 14,

the shafting is axially displaced through the actuating knob 102 inwardly against the bias of spring thereby withdrawing the locking teeth 114 on element 116 from the teeth 112. While holding the shafting in the release position described, rotational torque may be transmitted to the antenna in order to change its orientation. When the desired angular position is reached, the flexible shafting is released permitting the spring 120 to return it to the locking position re-engaging the locking teeth 114 and 112 in the new adjusted position of the antenna.

FIG. 6 illustrates another installation generally referred to by reference numeral 122 utilizing'the same Window support 20 as described in connection with in stallation 10 of FIG. 1. The tubular rod 18 of installation 10 is replaced by a tubular rod assembly 124 including a lower section 126 received in the socket 58 of support 20 below the window opening and .an upper section 128. The sections 126 and 128 are interconnected by a fastener 130 extending through an enlargement 132 of section 126 receiving section 128 as shown in FIG. 9. The lower section 126 as more clearly seen in FIG. 8 has a guide tube 134 projecting therefrom toward the window opening in a substantially horizontal position when the rod assembly 124 is installed. In the installed position, the upper section 128 establishes a vertical orientation axis for the antenna (not shown in FIGS. 6 and 7) by means of the curved end portion 136 rotatably mounting shaft section 138 to which the antenna is secured.

As more clearly seen in FIG. 7, the shaft section 138 includes a reduced diameter portion 140 journaled in the end cap 142 and connected to the torque transmitting cable 144 of flexible shafting which also includes the sheathing 146 secured at an upper end to bracket 148 fixedly mounted in the upper rod section. The lower end of sheathing 146 is anchored to a bearing sleeve 150 fixed to the guide tube 134. The cable 144 extends into a sleeve 152 connecting it to an actuating knob 154 for transmitting torque through the flexible shaft as hereinbefore described in connection with shafting 100. However, unlike shafting 100 the cable 144 is not axially displaceable for lock release purposes. Instead a separate Bowden wire cable assembly 156 extends through the tubular rod as sembly 124 alongside of the flexible shafting for lock release purposes. A stop pin 158 projects from the upper end of the cable assembly 156 through a guide bore in end cap 142 for engagement with one of a plurality of bores 160 in a braked disc formation 162 on the shaft section 138 as more clearly seen in FIG. 10. A push-pull knob 164 is connected to the Bowden wire assembly at its lower end which extends through a guide sleeve 166 mounted on the connecting web 168 between the guide tube 134 and the rod section 126.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. In combination with an antenna and a support therefor adapted to be mounted in a window opening of a shelter, means for rotatably mounting the antenna on the support in vertically and horizontally spaced relation to the window opening, and control means connected to the antenna and extending through the support toward the widow opening for angularly orientating the antenna relative to the support, said support including a corner bracket adapted to be received in a corner of the window opening, a sill embracing member secured to the corner bracket having a projecting socket extending upwardly at an incline, and a tubular rod received in said socket below the window opening.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said tubular rod includes a curved end portion from which the rotatable mounting means extends for rotation about an orientating axis, an elongated portion extending from the curved end portion at an obtuse angle to said orientating axis having an end opposite the curved portion received in the socket, and a guide member projecting from the elongated portion adjacent to said end thereof.

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein said rotatable mounting means comprises a shaft section secured to the antenna and rotatably mounted by the curved end portion of the tubular rod.

4. The combination of claim 3 wherein said control means includes flexible shafting rotatably mounted within the tubular rod having opposite ends respectively connected to the rotatable mounting means for the antenna and extending through the guide member, and actuating means connected to one of said ends of the flexible shafting extending from the guide member for transmitting torque to the antenna through the flexible shafting and the rotatable mounting means.

5. In combination with an antenna and a support therefor adapted to be mounted in a window opening of a shelter, means for rotatably mounting the antenna on the support in vertically and horizontally spaced relation to the window opening, control means connected to the antenna and extending through the support toward the widow opening for angularly orientating the antenna relative to the support, and a tubular guide member extending from the support toward the window opening from which the control means extends.

6. The combination of claim 5 wherein said control means includes flexible shafting rotatably mounted within the support having opposite ends respectively connected to the rotatable mounting means for the antenna and extending through the guide member, and actuating means connected to the end of the flexible shafting extending from the guide member for transmitting torque to the antenna through the flexible shafting and the rotatable mounting means.

7. The combination of claim 6 including releasable lock means for holding the rotatable mounting means and the flexible shafting in an angularly adjusted position.

8. The combination of claim 7 including means for releasing the lock means in response to axial displacement of the flexible shaft by the actuating means.

9. In combination with an antenna and a support therefor adapted to be mounted in a window opening of a shelter, means for rotatably mounting the antenna on the support in vertically and horizontally spaced relation to the window opening, said support including a corner bracket adapted to be received in a corner of the window opening, a sill embracing member secured to the corner bracket having a projecting socket below the window opening and extending upwardly at an incline, and a tubular rod received in said socket through which the control means extends, said tubular rod including a curved end portion from which the rotatable mounting means extends for rotation about an orientating axis, an elongated portion extending from the curved end portion at an obtuse angle to said orientating axis having an end opposite the curved portion received in the socket below the window opening.

10. In combination with a device to be angularly adjusted and a support therefor adapted to be mounted in a window opening of a shelter, remote control means connected to the device and extending through the support toward the window opening, and a guide member extending from the support from which the control means extends, said control means including flexible shafting rotatably mounted within the support having opposite ends respectively connected to the rotatable mounting means for the device and extending through the guide member, actuating means connected to the end of the flexible shafting extending from the guide member for transmitting torque to the device through the flexible shafting, and releasable lock means for holding the flexible shafting in an angularly adjusted position.

11. The combination of claim 10 wherein said support includes a bracket mounted in the window opening and a tubular rod extending at an upward incline from the bracket below the guide member.

12. The combination of claim 11 wherein said lock means includes a brake member fixed internally of the tubular rod, through which the flexible shafting extends, a lock element fixed to the flexible shafting, and spring means axially biasing the lock element into engagement with the brake member.

13. The combination of claim 11 wherein said lock means includes a brake member fixed to the device, a lockpin movably mounted by the tubular rod adjacent to the brake member, a flexible cable connected to the lockpin extending through the tubular rod and the guide member, and lock control means connected to the cable adjacent to the actuating means for axial displacement of the lockpin from a lock position engaging the brake member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,053,255 2/1913 Ward 248-42 2,496,646 2/1950 Winer 343-882 XR 2,646,240 7/1953 Anderson 248-42 XR 2,787,169 4/1957 Farr et a1. 343-882 XR MARK NEWMAN, Primary Examiner F. D. SHOEMAKER, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 248-42, 222 

